The Motorcycle Diaries
by UndoubtedlyTheWine
Summary: Life of a Cop is quite tiresome, isn't it? The entire day passes in chasing criminals, finding clues and protecting the nation. But for some, night time is indeed fun because when the sun goes down, a whole new world is born: The world of Street Racing! A tale of life and friendship! NOTE: Characters are under wraps for time being!
1. Chapter 1

**The Motorcycle Diaries**

 **Chapter 1**

 **PART I**

A thirteen year old boy stood in front of the thick metal garage door. He listened carefully for any sound within. There was total silence. It seemed he had arrived early today. He settled on the upturned bucket waiting for the men to appear.

The boy was an Orphan. He didn't know what had happened of his parents. He didn't even remember their faces. He feared nothing and people always thought that he was full of attitude because he spoke very less. But he didn't care. He liked to keep to himself. He liked doing unusual stuff which ordinary people wouldn't even dream of doing.

One evening when he was returning from School, he saw two men enter an isolated building, a mere two blocks away from his Orphanage. The building was partially complete and it had been completely vacant ever since he had arrived at the orphanage. It was quite unusual for them to go in there he thought. So he decided to follow them.

He always had a thing for solving mysteries. He crept behind the two men silently and that day, they introduced him to an exciting, dangerous world which was totally new for him. And then there was no stopping him. Each Friday night he would sneak into the rundown building to listen to the men discussing cars, races and lot more.

The turning of the locks disturbed his trail of thoughts and he silently peered through the key hole inside the garage. Dim yellow light flooded the room and two burly men came into view.

Without wasting time, one of them pulled the covers and a Porsche & a BMW came into view. 'What do you think Sam?' the man asked his friend.

The man called Sam let out a low whistle. 'Sexy!' was the only word he could utter.

The boy's mouth was shaped in an 'O' of surprise. It was the exact same BMW which he had driven on his computer in his racing game Grand theft Auto. The metallic blue paint was shining and he couldn't stop admiring the car's elegant design. The Porsche too seemed to be imported from other country. He had never seen this model until now. The two men had already sat inside and were discussing the stats. Though he couldn't get what they were saying, he knew the cars were very hi-tech and expensive.

He heard them speaking -

'They are indeed a lot of money'

'Will they sustain in the race?'

'Depends upon who gets to drive'

'Man. This is fun. The betting is already worth millions! And the game hasn't even started!'

'Yeah dude! I just can't wait for the event to begin!'

'Come on. Let's leave. No one should come to know about this place. Else we'll get into trouble'

They hid the cars under the covers and checked the room to see whether everything was alright. Still discussing cars, the two men left the garage through the other exit oblivious to the presence of the thirteen year old kid who had witnessed the entire scene. The boy knew whatever they were up to was certainly not good. Else who would meet in an old building in such a secretive manner and that too at this hour of night? Racing games were his favourite. He wondered how fun it would be to do it in real life rather than watching the cars on a computer screen.

 **O-o-o-o** **  
**  
 **8 years later -** **  
**  
The surroundings had changed. But his life was just the same. The same old orphanage and a few good friends! But his passion for racing had increased. It was an addiction which had been growing all these years. The boy now an adult had discovered many secrets till now. The men in the garage would import cars from abroad and would rent them to racers. On winning, the racers and these men would share the money won. It was a type of gambling. Now the young man knew how these people worked and their complex networking. Alcohol, drugs, money, girls, betting and what not! One could find everything he or she wanted. The young man would sit and observe these people for hours and hours…

These racers mostly used imported cars. Sometimes domestic cars were made to look like imports performed in a power packed action filled races.  
Danger was a part and parcel of this thrilling sport and he absolutely loved watching it.

Quite a few times, he imagined himself in one of those cars fulfilling this badass, long cherished dream of his own. Naturally all this invited high rate of crime. He was amazed how the cops never managed to get hold of the racers. He had heard a few cases where cops had busted the gang of illegal street racers yet the surprisingly these illegal activities continued and seemed to be growing.  
He had developed a reckless need for speed by watching all this action since childhood. Once when he was watching a drag race sitting on a rock in the darkness, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

The young man wasn't frightened at all.

'Kya hai?' he asked the stranger in an arrogant voice.

'Chalo mere saath… Saab ko tumse baat karni hai' said the guy.

He led them into a dirty room just a few feet away from the racing track. A short and a slightly bald man looked up at them from his chair. He was smoking a cigar.

'Tumne shayad mujhe pehle kabhi dekha nahi hoga. Log mujhe KT ke naam se jaante hai. Bohot dino se dekh raha hu tumhe. Kyu aate ho tum yaha? Aur rehte kaha ho?' asked KT.

'Main yahi paas me ek Orphanage me rehta hoon. Bas agle saal meri padhai khatam ho jayegi phir job karunga' said the young man.

'Kaha job karoge?' asked KT.

'CID me naukri karni hai mujhe' said the young man grinning.

'Kya? Tum mujhe dhamki de rahe ho? Tum nahi jaante me kya kar sakta hoon! Abhi tak job mila bhi nahi aur abhi se aise baatein kar rahe ho meer saath!' said KT angrily.

'Mujhe pata haijo kaam tum log karte ho woh gair kaanooni hai. Par maine kisi ko kuch bhi bataya nahi. Aur main aapko koi dhamki nahi de raha sirf bata raha hoon. Bachpan se mujhe racing ka shauk hai isliye yaha dekhne aata hoon' said the young man calmly.

'Khud gadi chalana pasand karoge?' asked KT.

'Boss ye kya keh rahe hai aap. Ap to jaante bhi nahi iss ladke ko!' the other person said yelled.

'Tum chup raho! Jao bahar aur apna kaam karo!' KT shouted back.

'Kya? Aap mujhe puch rahe hai? Ek honewale CID officer ko?' asked the young man shocked.

'Honewale ho na? Hue toh nahi na abhi tak? Ye sirf ek offer hai. Aur wo bhi hamesha nahi sirf emergency me mujhe zaroorat lagegi tumhari. Matlab agar koi racer mar gaya ya kisi aur club ka member ho gaya toh. Hum legal contract sign karenge' KT explained.

The young man couldn't help smiling.

'A legal contract for an illegal job!' he thought.

'Haas kyu rahe ho? Ye sab joke lag raha hai tumhe?' asked KT angrily.

'Nahi. Aisa kuch bhi nahi hai' said the young man.

'Aur haan, tum kisi ko bhi iske baare me nahi bataoge. Main tumhe sirf puch raha hoon. Koi force nahi kar raha' said KT.

'Par mujhe gadi chalani aati hai ya nahi wo toh aap jaante bhi nahi!' said the young man.

'Tum paida bhi nahi hue the tabse main iss business me hoon. Ek hi nazar me mujhe samajh jata hai asli khiladi kaun hai!' said KT.

'Thik hai. Mujhe manjoor hai' said the young man after a moment.

KT gave him a triumphant grin. 'Pata tha mujhe! Mubarak ho! Ab sirf ye contract pe sign karlo' he said.

'Mujhe iss contract ke kuch conditions change karne hai!' said the young man.

'Kya?' KT asked shocked.

The young man put forth his conditions. After much discussion KT finally agreed.

After reading the changed document, the young man placed his initials on the paper by sealing his future: racing.

'Accha ruko. Tumhe boss se mila deta hoon. Aaj se tum hamare club ke member ho' said KT.

KT led him to a room adjacent to them.

'Meet Mr Dom Hobbs' KT introduced him.

'Hello young man! Welcome to the world of racing! Let me get one thing clear. This sport is not for losers. It's for someone who just loves to race, you will have to deal with deadly competitors, and then you challenge them and race. The race can be over when one racer can no longer see the other, one of the racers wreck, or one of the racers pussies out and stops racing' said Hobbs.

The young man merely nodded.

'And it's risky. I've seen guns pulled at street races when guys lose huge amounts of money. And since this is illegal, you'll have to be careful all the time' said Hobbs.

'I am aware about all the facts' said the young man.

'Well I am highly impressed with your attitude. Good Luck' said Hobbs.

 **PART II**

She was the only child of Mr. and Mrs Malhotra and hence sometimes her parents were over protective of her. Her mother was very strict. The girl liked when her father was around. But due to his business trips he was away for most of the time during the year.

The girl would sit on the porch reading her school textbook watching as the other kids in her neighborhood ran around playing hide and seek. They would never let her play in as she loved playing football or basketball or other such boyish sport. There were a few older boys but her mother would never allow her to play with them. Her mother called them the "Troublemakers".

One day of the older boys walked over to her. 'Khelna chahogi hamare saath?' he asked.

She smiled at him. 'Nahi. Meri mom allow nahi karegi mujhe.' she said sadly.

'Par kyu?' he asked.

'Unhe lagta hai aap log acche bacche nahi ho. Par mujhe aisa nahi lagta' she said innocently.

The boy laughed. 'Tum mere saath chalo. Mere ghar ke piche ek jagah hai. Waha hum khel sakte hai. Kisi ko pata nahi chalelga' said the boy.

'Okay chalo' she said excitedly.

'Tumhe cars pasand hai?' he asked.

'Haan. Par motorbikes jyada acche lagte hai' she said.

The boy and his friends would tell her about cars and racing bikes from across the world. They would look at their pictures from old magazines and read about their make and engines.  
The racing game which he had taught her was their favourite. The rules were simple, you were the car and you had to run and 'drive' beating the others over the finish line which was a stick in the backyard of the boy's house.  
But one day the boy and his family relocated to other city and the girl was alone again.  
But now she knew every tiny thing about bikes. Thanks to her friend.

 **O-o-o-o**  
 **  
** **A few years later -**

'Ma! Papa! Meri admission ho gayi! I am so happy ma! India ka sabse best college hai ye!' said the girl in an excited voice.

Her parents beamed. 'Dekha meri beti kitni intelligent hai1 Aur tum khamakha use daat leti thi' the girl's father said to his wife.

'Haan haan pata hai mujhe aapki beti bohot intelligent hai! Aur wo badi hokar kuch bane isiliye to daat ti thi' said the girl's mother.

'I am proud of you! Aur iss saal tumhare birthday par main tumhe ek bohot bada surprise dunga!' said her father.

'Wow! Dad I am so excited!' said the girl.

 **O-o-o-o** **  
**  
"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" Her hand flailed around as she tried to smack the alarm's snooze button.

'Itni jaldi subah ho bhi gayi?' the girl wondered.

She looked at the alarm clock. Its luminous hands showed it was 12 am. '12 ka alarm - Oh it's my birthday! Kahi papane toh ye sab...?' she wondered aloud.

At that moment, her parents and her three friends burst inside her room yelling 'Happy Birthday!' The girl was overwhelmed. They sang birthday songs and cut the cake.

'Thank you everyone! Ye sabse best pal hai mere liye' said the girl.

'Jab birthday gift dekhogi na toh aur bhi special ho jayega' said her father smiling warmly.

'Aise kya lekar aaye hai aap? Mujhe bhi nahi bataya!' said the girl's mother.

'Jao jaakar dekho' said her father.

The girls ran outside the house. And a moment later they let out squeals of delight. She had got a brand new Royal Enfield Classic 350 for her birthday. The girl's hand slid over its shiny black leather seat. It was like a dream come true. The sleek, shiny black motorcycle was all hers.

'Kaise laga gift?' came her father's voice.

She was unable to speak. A fat tear leaked out of her eye. Her father had known her love for bikes. He knew she loved to ride them. Her parents had remembered and cared for her. And he had given her the best gift ever.

'Ma! Papa! I love you! Iss duniya ke sabse best parents ho aap dono!' said the girl tearfully.

 **O-o-o-o** **  
**

In her spare time, the girl along with her friends would ride long distances on their bikes on weekend. She enjoyed such road trips immensely. A guy from their group owned an old garage. In the afternoon, they would modify old cars and bikes. They would fit nitrous bottles under the sub frames and them they would race.

Eventually as she completed her education and got a job in CID, she couldn't give much time to this passion of hers.

But one fine day, a friend from her bikers' group took her to a racing event at night.  
The girl was overjoyed! She couldn't believe her own eyes. The spectacular new world of street racing had opened new avenues for her to cherish her hobby.

 **O-o-o-o**

 ** _A/N - Any guesses who the characters might be?_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **A few years later -**

 **CID Bureau, Mumbai.**

'Haan Tarika batao kya pata chala?' asked ACP Pradyuman.

'Sir Reports kehte hai ki Alok ke finger prints murder weapon pe jo finger prints mile hai unse match karte hai' said Tarika.

'Sir Alok ka phone band aa raha hai' said Sachin.

'Phone band karke kaha bhagega Sachin! Pakdo use! Phir ye case bhi solve ho jayega!' said ACP Pradyuman.

'Sir mujhe iss saturday ko half day chahiye. Kuch personal kaam hai' said Tarika.

'Haan thike jao. No problem' said ACP Pradyuman.

At that precise moment, Abhijeet came into the Forensic Lab panting slightly. 'Abhijeet! Kaha the tum subah se? Aur itne jaldi me kyu ho?' asked ACP Pradyuman.  
'Sir main mere khabri se milne gaya tha. Sir mujhe bohot hi secret information pata chal gayi hai!' said Abhijeet in an excited voice.

'Kaunsi baat?' asked ACP Pradyuman.

'Sir iss hafte ek bohot bada event honewala hai! Street racing ka!' said Abhijeet.

'Kya?' said ACP surprised.

'Yaha Mumbai me? Ye kaise mumkin hai Abhijeet?' asked Tarika astonished.

'Kaha aur kaunse din honewala hai wo pata nahi par khabar pakki hai sir! Saare duniya me se bikers aur car racers aayenge. Aur pata chala hai ek bohot badi drug deal honewali hai.' said Abhijeet.

'Oh toh ye baat hai! Nahi Abhijeet hume iss event ke baare me pata karna hi padega! Aur iss baar main bhi khud aayunga tum logon ke saath. Jara mujhe bhi toh dekhe do kaun bikers hai iss event me!' said ACP Pradyuman chuckling.

Tarika pursed her lips and went back to work at her desk.

 **O-o-o-o**

 **Friday Morning, CID Bureau -** **  
**  
'Daya kuch pata chala ye race kaha par honewali hai?' asked ACP Pradyuman.  
'Abhi tak toh kuch bhi nahi sir. Par jald hi pata kar lenge. Aur agar nahi bhi pata chala toh dhoond lenge. Aakhir hamare liye Mumbai dhoondna bohot aasan hai' said Daya.

 **O-o-o-o**

 **Saturday** **11 pm -**

Tarika stretched her arms above her head and let out a huge yawn, feeling rested from her short nap. She looked at the clock curiously. It was already eleven o' clock? Had she really been asleep for three hours? She flipped the television off, turning the stereo system on to her favourite radio station instead and headed towards the bathroom to get ready for the night.  
She found her cosmetics bag and quickly got to work, making her eyes dark and smoky for the special night and her lips a deep, blood red. Her curly hair bounced off her shoulders. She had already decided what clothes to wear. She put them on.

She cast a quick look at herself in the mirror. Finally feeling satisfied with her appearance she sprayed some of her favourite Burberry perfume onto her neck and wrists, breathing in its pleasant scent. And then before leaving, she grabbed her leather jacket and slid it on, loving the feel of the cool, black lining inside. The clock now read eleven-thirty. Voila! It was racing time!

The road towards her destination was long and dark. It would lead her to the Cranberry Mall where races took place after dark. After about half an hour, she was there. Adrenaline began to pump through her veins as she took in the sight of the bright lights and flashy cars up ahead. Music pumping from hundreds of car speakers shook the pavement loudly and reverberated through her chest. She took a deep breath, becoming intoxicated with the scent of brand new cars. She hopped off her bike, looking at the crowd of people making their way slowly into the parking. She checked her watch. The time showed quarter to one.

 **O-o-o-o**

 **Earlier, Saturday** **Night,** **12.30 am**

All the shops inside the Cranberry mall were closed. But the neon lit restaurants surrounding the mall were crowded with people. They were dining happily enjoying the night, chattering away happily. But unknown to the people dining above, the parking lot of the Cranberry Mall, which was three storeyes underground was full of exhaust smoke and screaming engines. More than a quarter portion of the parking lot was pulsing with over a hundred or so sports bikes.

A glittering gold banner of _**'Beat the Heat'**_ was flying in the wind. This was the starting point of the grand street race which was going to take place tonight. The track began from the parking lot and it led directly to the outskirts of the city.

A handsome man got down from his bike. He was almost six feet tall, with a heavy built. He flaunted a mustache and a French beard. He was dressed in biker gear with his trademark black leather jacket fully zipped up.

Just by surveying the surroundings, he got an adrenaline rush. Many Riders had logos on their bikes and jackets of the motorcycle clubs to which they belonged. Riders were making their way in and out of the crowd wearing T-shirts, with images of murdered rap heroes and bikes.

Gold-capped grilles glittered in the amber haze of street lights, along with candy-painted tanks and chromed wheels to add to the decoration. Teens were seen in large numbers. Suzuki Hayabhusas, Modified Royal Enfield's were parked on the side of the street.

A huge crowd of five hundred plus people had gathered already. They were cheering their favourite biker clubs, laughing and talking.  
'Are saab aap yaha?' he heard someone say.

Daya turned and saw a familiar face. A bald man with a cruel looking scar on his forehead was grinning at him. 'Ronnie! Kaise ho? Bas tumhe hi dekh raha tha!' said Daya.

'Bohot dino ke baad dikh rahe ho aaj! Kya baat hai?' Ronnie asked.

'Haan bhai aaj mood hai kuch toofani karne ka' said Daya.

'Saab ek sawal puchu? Matlab ab gussa mat hona. Aap jab yaha nahi aate to kaha rehte hai? Matlab kuch drugs shugs ka business vagera...?' asked Ronnie.  
Daya caught his neck with one hand.

'Dekh aaj puch liya. Lekin iske aage tu aise sawal nahi karega samjha? Aur mera koi drugs ka business nahi hai. Toh mere yaha tere naukri ke chances nahi hai' said Daya.

'Sorry saab. Lekin aapko kaise pata chala mujhe naukri chahiye?' asked Ronnie massaging his neck.

'Meri nazar and kaan bohot tez hai Ronnie. Accha wo chod. KT kaha milega?' said Daya smirking.

'Wo hai na saab udhar hai aage' said Ronnie pointing ahead.

'Thike! Aur kuch khane pine ka intezam kiya ya nahi?' asked Daya.

'Haan haan kiya hai na saab. Aap baithiye aaram se! Main bhijwa deta hoon' said Ronnie.

Daya walked a bit ahead when KT spotted him. 'Aaj bohot mood hai mera racing ka!' said Daya.

'Wah! Aaj main phir se ek baar ameer banne wala hoon! Ruko main bas abhi aaya' said KT and walked away.

 **O-o-o-o**

Daya moved out towards the track. The bike race was about to begin. Twenty or so bikes were arranged. The contestants were slowly making their way towards them.

Daya was scanning the crowd when he saw somebody strikingly familiar: A skinny figure wearing black jeans, red V neck, black leather jacket, Very curly hair and blood red lips.

Daya ducked quickly behind a tall guy. He had received a shock of his life. 'Tarika! Ye yaha kya kar rahi hai?'he wondered.

'Iska matlab Tarika bhi chup chup ke yaha aati hai?! How is it possible? Par mujhe chupne ki kya zaroorat? Wo pehchan nahi payegi mujhe! Muche aur French beard lagayi hai na maine!' he thought.

The bikes crept to the line. Daya folded his hands keeping his eyes on Tarika. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she put her helmet on. Daya was looking at her in awe: He was seeing a very different version of her. 'Let the first race begin!' someone yelled.

The crowd around him cheered and hollered with excitement as they scattered around to make way for the bikers. Then the green lights flashed, and the bikes blistered off the line like rockets. Tarika literally zoomed off like a comet.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Daya couldn't believe that he and Tarika shared the same illegal passion for street racing. All these years she had been here with him and he had not known!

'Aaj toh Tarika se milna hi padega!' Daya thought.

Half an hour later the giant scoreboards at the end of the track, declared that Tarika had finished the second place!

 **O-o-o-o**

'Ye lo!' said KT putting a wad of rupee bills into Daya's pocket.

'Kya hai ye sab?' asked Daya.

'Ye pachaas hazar hai. Baki ke tees hazar race khatam ho jane ke baad! Aur haan jeet nahi bhi gaye to kam se kam dusre ya teesre number pe toh aa hi jana. Maine bohot paise lagaye hai tumhare upar!

'KT main paise nahi leta tumhe pata!' said Daya.

'Haan pata hai. Par rakh lo iss baar! Meri khatir! Taufa hai meri taraf se! Tum chaho toh kisi gareeb ko de dena. Na mat bolna par!' said KT.

'Kya baat hai KT? Kahi police ka kuch matter toh kiya nahi hai na tune? Itna pyar jo aa raha hai mujhpar!' asked Daya.

'KT pe shak? Ye galat baat hai!' said KT.

'Accha thik hai chal! Kitna time hai?' asked Daya.

'Ek ghanta. Hum dus ve number pe hai. Aur ye pehen lo' said KT handing him a blue bandana with ' _ **Reckless Rebels**_ ' written across it.

'Thik hai. Aacha KT wo ladki kaun ye? Red top wali? Aur kab se aa rahi hai yaha par?' asked Daya pointing at Tarika.

'Wo Lincy madam hai. Kareeb 6 saal se aa rahi hai yaha par. Par bohot kam dikhai deti hai. Bilkul tumhari ki tarah. Kyu pasand as gayi kya?' asked KT with a naughty grin.

But the look which Daya gave him was enough for him to know that he had crossed a line. Without uttering a word, KT went away.

Daya sneaked up behind Tarika. She was standing away from the crowd in the dark busily watching the quarrel going on between the two bikers.  
Daya removed his fake beard and whispered in her ear, 'Bike bohot acchi chala leti ho Tarika.'

She whipped around and let out a yelp. 'D - Daya tum yaha?' she whispered.

'Haan main yaha' said Daya looking grim.

'Tum yaha kaise? Main ACP sir se kahunga/ kahungi' both said together in unision.

'Hum dono bhi aisa kuch nahi karenge okay?' said Daya after a moment.

'Daya tum aise kaise kar sakte ho? Itna bada dhoka!' said Tarika.

'Dhoka maine diya huh? Aur tum tumhara kya? Maine dekha hai tumhe bike race me abhi abhi! Aur main sirf dekhne aaya tha race!' said Daya.

'Jhooth mat bolo! Ye kya hai phir?' she asked pointing at the blue bandana in his hand.

'Sirf haath me liya hai maine. Iska matlab ye nahi na ki main... oh shit! Ek minute!'

Daya hastily put his fake beard and moustache watching Tarika's horrified expression.

A minute later KT came rushing towards him. 'Tumhari race sixth place hai reschedule ki hai. Tayar rehna. Good luck!' he said and scuttled off.

Tarika was staring at him, an eyebrow raised. 'Wo - wo bas majak kar raha tha.' said Daya.

'Oh really? I was not born yesterday Daya! Waise kab se chal raha hai ye sab? Aur shuru kaise hua?' said Tarika.

'Yaar bohot lambi story hai. Phir kabhi bataunga. Yahi kuch 4-5 saalo se aa raha hoon. Lekin sirf 6 races kheli hai aaj tak' he confessed.

'Jab se choti thi tab se hi bike riding meri hobby rahi hai. Bas tumhari tarah main bhi dekhne aati hoon kabhi kabhi. Aaj ki milake dus ho gaye mere' said Tarika.  
'Hmmm, toh kuch galat karne ka irada toh hai nahi hamara... phir thik hai' said Daya.

'Par guilty feel hota hai. ACP sir humpe itna trust karte hai aur hum yaha... oh I hate lying to him' muttered Tarika.

'The HONESTY'S SHIP has already sailed Tarika! Ab aage kya ye sochna chahiye tumhe!' said Daya.

'Oye sirf mujhe nahi hum dono ko' said Tarika.

'Toh thike phir aaj ke baat hum yaha nahi aayenge. Aagar saamne hi na ho toh mann bhi nahi karega ye kaam karne ka' said Daya.

'Okay. Thik hai. Lekin iske baare me hum kisi ko kuch nahi batayenge. Abhijeet ko bhi nahi okay?' asked Tarika.

'Haan promise' agreed Daya.

'Accha chalo tumhare race ka time ho gaya shayad' said Tarika.

'Haan chalo' said Daya.

Then he stopped for a moment. 'Tarika tum chalo main abhi aata hun' he said.

Then he dialled a number as Tarika disappeared.

'Hello Abhijeet! Dekho mujhe pata chala hai ye event kaha ho raha hai. Main abhi uso jagah hoon. Tum log jald se jald yaha pohoh jao yaha par. Event ka naam 'Beat the Heat' hai. Haan haan main address tumhe sms kar deta hoon abhi' Daya spoke into the receiver.

He let out a satisfied sigh and checked his watch. He and Tarika still had a lot of time. 'Daya aaj ki raat yaadgar honewali hai' he said smiling to himself.  
Without wasting another minute, he went out onto the street.

 **O-o-o-o**

'Have you got anything good?'

Daya recognised the voice of Peter, a gap toothed blustery dude. He was very popular among the racers and known to be extremely dangerous and short tempered.  
'The car's got me! I think that's enough!' said Daya.

'You don't deserve to wear that. I have earned it!' said Peter pointing at Daya's bandana.

'Don't tell me! They kicked you out already?!' said Daya laughing.

Peter made a move towards him but KT held him back.

'Shut it! I told you not to open your mouth!' he said angrily.

'Tell him not to mess with me. Else he'll get seriously hurt' said Daya waving and indignant finger at Peter.

'Get going! It's time!' said KT.

They got in their respective cars and as the light flashed green, the cars took off, smoke blasting out from behind them like the car was coughing, everyone cheering them on as they raced down the road, knocking over anything and everything in their path.

 **O-o-o-o**

Tarika was waiting to hear the outcome of the race. She saw the cars coming. The crowd was yelling madly.

But an uninvited guest arrived first. 'CID?!' Tarika screamed as a familiar white Toyota followed by six police cars came up behind them. She heard immediate commotion on the road as people ran helter -skelter into the parking lot, their startled faces bathing flashing lights. Tarika almost got a mini panic attack: People were streaming in different directions, hurriedly firing up bikes and speeding off into the night as the local police and the CID team surrounded them. If the police showed up, Daya had told her earlier, I should drive his bike to a pre-arranged rendezvous which was behind the mall.

'Agar CID walo ne dekh liya toh main toh gayi!' thought Tarika. She acted as instructed by Daya, crawling slowly past the CID team hoping she wouldn't get caught.

She stopped dead on her tracks. Abhijeet was standing exactly next to Daya's bike firing at a local goon. She turned quickly and ran in the opposite direction.

Once behind a huge tree, she dialled up Daya's number panting slightly. He answered after three rings.  
'Daya kaha ho? CID aayi hai!' she said in alarm.

'Haan pata hai mujhe. Tum kaha ho? 'Daya asked calmly.

'Main mall ke saamne ek ped hai uske piche chip gayi hoon' Tarika yelled over all the commotion.

'Wahi ruko. Main aata hoon!' said Daya and hung up.

After a few minutes, Daya arrived. He was slightly out of breath. 'Thank god Daya tum aa gaye! CID yaha kaise as gaye?' asked Tarika.

'Haan maine hi call kiya tha Abhijeet ko' said Daya calmly.

'Kya? Daya pagal ho gaye ho kya?' asked Tarika shocked.

'Iss raat ko aur yaadgar banane ke liye' said Daya smiling.

'Daya tum bhi na! Ab chalo isse pehle koi hume dekh le, hum bhaag chalte hai yaha se' said Tarika in an urgent voice.

'Haan chalo' said Daya.

They made their way towards the mall very carefully. Suddenly, a sharp voice of ACP Pradyuman rang out clearly, 'Ruk jao! Bhaagne ki koshish mat karna! You are under arrest!'

Tarika was about to look behind but Daya squeezed her hand. 'Piche mat dekho! Wo tume pehchan lenge. Sab mujhpar chod do. Aur han jab main kahu tab jitni tez bhaag sakti ho bhaag jana' whispered Daya.

Daya turned but didn't look in ACP Pradyuman's eyes.

ACP Pradyuman did not recognise Daya at all in his French Beard and a bandanna. 'Humne kuch nahi kiya hai' said Daya speaking in a hoarse voice.

'Maine dekha hai tumhe car se utarte hue. Tumhe bureau me chalna hoga hamare saath' said ACP Pradyuman.

Daya felt Tarika shudder beside him. 'Namumkin. Main hargiz nahi ayunga' said Daya confidently.

ACP started laughing and Daya got his chance. 'Bhaago!' Daya yelled.

He and Tarika ran as fast as they could. 'Ruk jao! Nahi toh mai goli mar dunga!' came ACP Pradyuman's angry voice.

'ABHIJEET! Pakdo unn dono ko! Haath se nikalne nahi chaiye' ACP Pradyuman yelled at Abhijeet.

'Daya tum aaj marwaoge yaar! Kya zaroorat thi CID ko inform karne ki?' said Tarika.

'Are kuch nahi hoga! Accha wo do bikes dekh rahi ho? Hume jaldi se nikalna hoga yaha se. Bike highway par le chalo. Main bhi aa raha hoo. Aur bike tez chalao!' Daya shouted over the din of bullets and yells.

'Daya hum pakde jayenge!' Tarika yelled back.

'Nahi Tarika. Trust me!' said Daya.

They finally hopped onto the bikes and drove off.

Abhijeet and ACP Pradyuman were running behind them but eventually they lagged behind. 'Drive karti raho! Agar wo gadi lekar aaye toh problem ho jayegi' said Daya.

 **O-o-o-o** **  
**

After half an hour Tarika said, 'Daya! I think ab wo chale gaye honge! Ab hume rukna chahiye. Subah hone hi wali hai! Hum shayad bohot door aagaye mumbai se!'

Both stopped their bikes at the side of the road. The sky was streaked with hues of orange.

An empty road lay ahead of them and light morning breeze welcomed them. 'Kya raat thi! Kabhi socha nahi tha aisa kuch hoga!' said Daya.

'Lekin ek baat kahu Daya? Bohot maja aaya. Mujhe pata hai ye kaam galat hai phir bhi' said Tarika with a guilty smile.

'Humne sirf bachpan ka shauk poora kiya hai Tarika. Aur galti toh har insan se hoti hai. Par humne decide kiya na isse aage hum street race me hissa nahi lenge? Bas phir ho gayi baat khatam!' said Daya.

Tarika smiled at him. 'ACP sir kitna gussa honge na! Pakad nahi paye woh hume' said Tarika laughing.

'Haan. Sirf soch kar hi hasi aa raha hai mujhe! Hungama ho raha hoga bureau me abhi' said Daya sniggering.

'Waise Daya mera toh thik hai par tum kya bataoge? Kal poori raat tum kaha the?' asked Tarika.

'Main toh biker ke piche piche gaya tha' said Daya.

'Oh no! Mujhe bohot dukh ho raha hai. Aaj pehli baar ek mujrim Senior Inspector Daya ke haath se bhaag gaya' said Tarika in a teasing voice.

'Kya karoon? Mere haath aane hi wala tha aur achanak gadi band ho gayi. Dekha toh petrol khatam. Toh bechara main kya karta? Wapas aa gaya' said Daya.  
Both laughed heartily.

'Chalo isi baat pe ek selfie ho jaye?' asked Tarika.

'Haan haan kyu nahi!' said Daya smiling.

'Toh chale wapas?' asked Tarika.

Nodding with a huge grin on his face, Daya placed the key in the ignition. Lightly laughing to himself as the engine started up, he held the brakes and increased the accelerator lightly. A slight purr was heard from the engine as they both smirked.

Riling up the engine once more, Daya turned to face Tarika, his eyes alight with excitement.

'Ek aakhri race ho jaye CID bureau tak?' he asked.

'Okay!' agreed Tarika and they sped off leaving behind wisps of smoke.

 **O-o-o-o**

These two never indulged in street racing ever again. But on their desks a photograph of both of them standing next to their bikes had found a permanent place. It was a proof of their exciting secret memory which nobody knew about except them.

Few words below the photograph read:

 _"Life means_ _  
_ _Two friends_ _  
_ _A hundred bucks of petrol_ _  
_ _Two rusty old bikes_ _  
_ _And an empty road"_

 **** THE END ****

 **A/N - I hope you liked the story. I had read somewhere that Shraddha Musale (actor who plays Dr Tarika) is fond of biking in real life. Well, that was enough as an inspiration to write this story :D**


End file.
